


One More Murder

by daygloparker



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Angst, Drama, Pre-White House (West Wing), Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-05-06
Updated: 2002-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-15 14:53:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14792612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daygloparker/pseuds/daygloparker
Summary: One more murder in this town/ Just block off the street and wrap the'Crime Scene' Tape around/ *Hosanna, hosanna!*/ I can't feel a thing at all





	One More Murder

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

 

Title: One More Murder

Author: Dayglo

Category: General, Pre-White House

Rating: PG-13

Summary: One more murder in this town/ Just block off the street and wrap the  
'Crime Scene' Tape around/ *Hosanna, hosanna!*/ I can't feel a thing at all

Disclaimer: Not mine. Song's not mine either. Don't bother suing, I have no  
money.

Author's Note: Second in my POV series. This one's Charlie.

  


One more murder in this town  
It don't mean a thing  
Just lock your doors and drive around

Mom comes home from her shift, looking tired. I hand her a mug of coffee, "was  
it bad today?"

She looks at me and gives me a small smile, "yeah, it was pretty bad. There was  
a gang fight on Green St. with five dead."

"What else is new?"

"Yeah"

One more murder in this town  
Don't worry the rain'll wash the chalkmarks  
From the ground

We continue to sit in silence when I hear Mom take a deep breath, "Charlie, one  
of the dead was Rakeem Johnson."

I blow out a puff of breath, "yeah, okay", I say.

Saturday night  
Shot ring out  
Add one to  
The body count  
Home alive  
To see another day

Mom's a cop, but we live in a pretty bad part of town. A lot of my friends from  
when I was in high school are in gangs. I've lost too many of them to gang  
fights and drugs. Rakeem's number seven or eight, I'm not sure which. Mom says  
she feels bad for their mothers, but at the same time, can't help being glad  
that I'm still here.

Plead it to a lesser count  
DA says without a doubt  
3 to 5, you're on the street again

The next day, I see Mike when I go with Deena to the park to play basketball.  
He comes over when he sees me, "hey, man"

"Hey", I say, surprised, "I thought you were still in juvee."

"Nah, they let me out early, good behavior."

"Oh"

"You hear about Rakeem?"

"Yeah"

"Damn shame, and I'd just gone to see him too."

"The funeral's tomorrow."

"I'll be there"

One more murder in this town  
Don't mean a thing, you get accustomed  
To the sound

At the funeral, we stand and hear the words. There are no tears, we've all been  
to too many funerals and heard these same words too many times. They don't mean  
anything anymore.

One more murder in this town  
Just block off the street and wrap the 'Crime Scene' Tape around

After, we go to where the fight'd gone down. There are still remnants of police  
tape floating around. "Bye man", I whisper, then leave. There's nothing else  
to do or say, it's over, and someone else is gone.

*Hosanna, hosanna!*  
I can't feel a thing at all

When I get home, Deena's waiting for me on the couch. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine"

*Hosanna, hosanna!*  
I can't feel a thing

It's funny, in a sad sort of way, but I'm not even sad anymore. I have heard  
the words "I'm sorry, but so and so is gone" so many times that I don't even  
care anymore. History has repeated itself too many times for it to make any  
kind of impact on me at all.

I can't feel a thing at all  
I can't feel a thing at all  
I can't feel a thing at all

I call Rakeem's mom and offer my condolences. I tell her how sorry I am and how  
I'm praying for her and her family. I say the same words I've said to countless  
of my friends mothers. And I don't feel a thing.

I can't feel a thing

Later, Deena knocks on my door. "Charlie?"

"Yeah"

"You sure you're okay?"

I let out a breath, I know she's just trying to help, "yeah, I'm fine, really."

"Doesn't it make you sad?"

"Not anymore"

I watch her face as she registers what I'm trying to tell her, "oh", she says,  
then leaves.

I said I can't feel a thing!

Another one's dead, and I can't feel a thing. I wonder if I'll ever feel a  
thing again.

Saturday night  
You call them out  
Parking lot  
I think I'll come about  
Feel the terrors  
Trigger you to Hell

I'm making dinner when mom comes into the kitchen, dressed in her uniform. "I  
thought you weren't going in today", I say, confused.

"Yeah, well I know you really wanted me to be at your basketball game on Friday  
so I switched my shifts", she says, smiling.

I break into a grin and give her a hug, "thanks".

"No problem", she replies, reaching for her cell phone as it starts to ring.  
She listens to whoever is on the other end, nodding her head. "Yeah, alright,  
I'll be right there." Hanging up, she turns back to me. "I've gotta go,  
there's a situation a couple of blocks away. See ya later."

I follow her to the door, "okay, bye love you."

"Love you too."

Plead and beg  
For sympathy  
"Take the car - I got a family!"  
Here alive  
And only sentiment

Renee Young arrived on the scene, finding and heading over to her commanding  
officer. Suddenly, shots rang out and everyone dove for cover. When the  
shooting stopped, Renee tried to get up, only to be stopped by searing pain.  
"Officer Young, Officer Young, can you hear me?" She tried to respond but she  
couldn't. Fear overcame her as she realized this was the end. Tears welled in  
her eyes as she thought of Charlie and Deena. "Please forgive me", she  
whispered, as darkness overcame her.

One more murder  
One more murder

Hearing the doorbell ring, I go over to open it and find Officer Juarez there,  
looking unbelievably sad. My heart starts to constrict as I think of the only  
reason why he would be here.

"Charlie, there was shooting at the scene, your mother was hit-"

I back away from the door, unwilling to hear what I know he's going to say, "no,  
no"

"Charlie, I'm sorry."

I hear sobbing behind me and turn around to see Deena standing there with tears  
running down her face. I'm unable to do or say anything as I feel my world  
crash around me.

One more murder in this town  
In this town  
Yeah Yeah, yeah, yeahhhh

It's raining on the day of her funeral. Deena and I sit still as the taps play  
and Lieutenant James speaks. All I can think of is how she's gone, just like  
everybody else, and this time it's my fault.

Yeah, yeah, yeahhhh  
Yeah, yeah, yeahhhh

After the funeral, I lead Deena to the car. It's going to be hard, I know,  
trying to live without her, but I'm determined to make it. I'm going to prove  
to Mom that we're strong enough to beat it, we're strong enough to beat it all.

Yeah, yeah, yeahhhh  
Yeah, yeah, yeahhhh


End file.
